Mental Healthcare Scholarship Program Update

Since 2019, Suffer Out Loud’s Mental Healthcare Scholarship Program has removed financial barriers and increased access to mental health services by awarding scholarships for up to $1,920 that covered most or all of the cost of up to 12 one-hour counseling sessions with a licensed Montana-based mental health professional (based on an average of $160 per session). 

Since this program started, with support from so many of you in our community, we have awarded over 250 scholarships to Montanans who otherwise may not be able to access the mental healthcare we all deserve.

However, the need for help consistently outpaces what we can fund based on the program’s current model. There are currently 80 people on our waitlist–some of whom have been waiting for over eight months. Given Montana’s growing mental healthcare crisis, we expect this trend to continue.  

At the same time, we recognize that making people who are brave enough to ask for help wait months for that support can do more harm than good. In February 2025, we paused the waitlist to focus on awarding scholarships to those who have been waiting and find a new, more efficient solution.

We have developed a partnership system with pre-licensure candidates and sliding scale providers who offer flexible and discounted rates. As a result of this partnership, scholarships will now cover 12 sessions at $50 each, for $600 total per scholarship.

Reducing the cost of mental health services  by 68% allows us to award more scholarships to more Montanans, more quickly without compromising the care people receive. In addition, because these providers offer rates that are up to 95% lower than out-of-pocket averages in Montana, scholarship recipients are more likely to be able to afford to continue to work  with their provider after scholarship funds are exhausted.

We are also returning to a quarterly roll-out process. Until early 2024, scholarships were awarded every three months. We tried a monthly roll-out but that made it clear that the quarterly schedule offers myriad benefits, including shorter  wait times and a greater ability to predict wait times for new applicants. Moving forward, scholarships will be awarded in August, November, February, and May. 

Questions + Answers

• Will people who are currently on the waitlist receive scholarships at the prior award amount?

  • After months of thoughtful consideration and consultation with providers and partners across the region, we have decided that moving forward, all scholarships will be awarded at this new rate–including  individuals who joined the waitlist prior to these changes.

  • Individuals who are currently on the waitlist will be asked to sign a new agreement that outlines these changes before being awarded a scholarship.

  • We recognize these changes may affect some individuals’ plans for using their scholarship, and do not take this lightly. This difficult decision was made out of recognition that a new model is needed to allow us to serve  the 80 people who have been waiting months for a scholarship, as well as future clients. These changes make it possible for us to connect more people to mental healthcare sooner and are an essential step toward reopening the waitlist to other individuals who need this support. 

• Are scholarship amounts or terms flexible?

  • No. Scholarships cover up to $50 per session for up to 12 sessions, for a maximum total award amount of $600. This ensures that scholarship funds have equal impact regardless of a recipient’s chosen provider or the provider’s fee scale, frees recipients to choose a provider based on their specialty and personality fit versus their fee structure, and helps us to accurately forecast program costs when awarding scholarships.

  • As has always been our policy, scholarships cannot be used for more than 12 sessions or for fewer sessions at a higher per-session rate, and recipients have six months to use their full scholarship. Any unused funds remaining after six months will be returned to the general scholarship fund.

• Do scholarship recipients have to work with sliding scale providers on Suffer Out Loud’s roster?

  No. As always, recipients can work with any provider of their choosing. If that provider charges more than $50 per session, the individual is responsible for paying the difference.

• Can I still receive a scholarship if I have private insurance?

  Yes! Since the beginning, recipients have been encouraged to combine their scholarship with private insurance if possible. This can help lower per-session rates for recipients, once any benefits have been applied. Recipients are still responsible for paying any differences between what insurance and their scholarship cover. For example, if a recipient’s insurance covers $50 of a $160 appointment and their scholarship covers an additional $50, that recipient will be responsible for paying the remaining $60 per session.

• What are the requirements for participating providers?

  • Providers must be licensed, carry malpractice insurance, and remain legally able to provide psychotherapy via in-person and/or telehealth sessions 

  OR: 

  • Must have completed a graduate education program, be in the process of a post-grad pre-licensure experience employed or contracted by an agency or group practice, and be supervised by a Montana-licensed therapist carrying malpractice insurance.

We’re incredibly grateful for the providers, partners, and supporters who continue to walk alongside us as we adapt to meet the urgent and growing demand for mental healthcare in Montana. These changes allow us to say "yes" to more people, more quickly, and to honor the courage it takes to ask for help with the timely support they deserve.

At the same time, we know this is a big shift, and we’re here to answer any questions. Please email your thoughts to rachel@sufferoutloud.org, or if you’d like to connect in person.

Thank you for being part of a community that believes mental healthcare should be available to all.

With gratitude,

Rachel Caldwell

Executive Director, Suffer Out Loud

rachel@sufferoutloud.org